Pakistan Progressive Forum Hosted Conference in Chicago

During the Pakistan Progressive Forum (PPF) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, it was decided to give diaspora voices a forum to promote social justice and progressive concerns in Pakistan and the land of Palestine.

Social movements for equality, social justice, and progress can be accelerated in both Pakistan and North America by progressive Pakistanis living in the US. Organizing professionals, scholars, and activists around a unified agenda for action was the resolution of the Pakistan Progressive Forum (PPF) day-long moot in Chicago, Illinois in April 2024.

Medical professionals, engineers, IT specialists, and activists from North America gathered for the two-hour session, "Peace and Conflict in a Multipolar World." Finding strategies for cooperating with progressive social movements in the US was the main goal of the meeting. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, and Dr. Ammar Ali Jan were among the speakers. Raza Rumi was the moderator for the event.

As the event moderator and a journalist, Raza Rumi opened the conversation by highlighting the value of the diaspora in bringing ideas and information back "home" and the necessity of supporting progressive causes in both Pakistan and America. In order to create a realistic action plan, Rumi emphasized the importance of outlining an organizing approach and aiming for specificity.

New York Congressman Bowman, who is rerunning for office, emphasized his steadfast support for the Palestinian people and how he had defied pressure not to demand a stop to Israeli atrocities against the Gazan people and to call for a ceasefire.

All around the world, I oppose the death of children. Bowman said, "They wanted me to keep quiet about starving children and not demand a ceasefire, but I cannot stay silent." He stressed the necessity for American communities as a whole to resist hegemonic and supremacist ideas.

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa stated that the emerging global order is significantly more cruel and totalitarian. She outlined the distinctive ways in which nationalisms were responding to and coexisting with multinational corporate power. All things considered, the United States and other nations have regressed toward democracy.

There is a discussion about the type of state that is required, and Siddiqa suggested that respecting inclusiveness and diversity will help to create societies that are healthy in the long run.

"Ammar Ali Jan paid tribute to the American students who were challenging the current quo and discussed the mass graves that were found in Gaza. Jan also emphasized the rising rates of inflation and poverty under the IMF's terms. Additionally, while the elites continued to enjoy their privileges, the general public was suffering the most.

The Pakistani community is free to back any party they like, but Jan advised them to look into the progressive activities that are currently taking place in Pakistan. Given its importance, the diaspora has a role to play here.

After October 8, Raza Rumi said, there was an increase in Islamophobia, or Muslim-ophobia. Despite the fact that every Muslim in America has denounced hate speech against Jews, the corporate media still portrays Muslims as anti-Jews. It was not antisemitic to advocate for the rights of Palestinians and to condemn the collective punishment of citizens in Gaza. Holding the Israeli government accountable is mandated by both international law and US legislation. However, given its existing configuration, the UN was unable to stop a genocide in progress, which is why the global body must adapt to the shifting balance of power in the world.

In light of the violations of international humanitarian law and US regulations for the provision of humanitarian assistance, the Pakistan Progressive Forum ultimately endorsed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Palestine, and a stop to arming Israel.

The forum also decided to keep up its organizational efforts in the US to unite disparate groups for progressive action and advocacy.

Pakistan Progressive Forum (PPF) was the organization behind the event. Progressive Pakistani individuals and groups living abroad have united to form the PPF. It combines a tradition with origins spanning over a century with a diverse group of activists spanning three generations. It is the biggest group of progressive Pakistanis in the US that is representational.